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September 2, 2008
Ian J. Plant
Beyond the Rule of Thirds: Composing Landscape and Wildlife Images

Lowepro Camera Bag Raffle

A Lowepro Primus AW backpack will be raffled at the meeting. Joe Miller won it at the End of Year Banquet. Alas, Joe cannot use this and has kindly donated it to the club. Anybody that would love to own this and can use it is eligible for the giveaway. The giveaway will take place at the first NVPS meeting on Tuesday, September 2nd. YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN!!!! If the name that is drawn out of the bowl is NOT present, another name will be drawn. To be eligible, you must send an email to Sandi Croan (Pashli@aol.com) expressing your desire to enter no later than Sunday, August 31st at 6pm. Please put your full name somewhere in the email and simply state "I want it" or something similar.

Mary O'Neill
VP for Programs
mary.m.o'neill@gsk.com
703-548-8669 (H)

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Tom Brett

We welcome you to NVPS '08-'09. This will be an exciting and active NVPS year. We will be treated to wonderful speakers, competitions, photographic presentations, field trips, education sessions, exhibits, and other learning experiences. You will be encouraged, provided with educational opportunities, and challenged.

This will be the 44th year for NVPS and we will maintain the club's outstanding reputation as one of the very best photography clubs in the region. NVPS is a very active club with activities to challenge and appeal to the many "tastes" and skill levels of our members. We are intent on encouraging and helping less- experienced photographers to increase their skills.

We are very fortunate to have a Board of very talented volunteers, with a good mix of prior Board experience and "new" Board members. As you know, all Board members are volunteers. Please strongly consider volunteering to serve in one of the unfilled positions, which include: Secretary [who had to resign as a result of job workload increase], Exhibits Coordinator, Meadowlark Coordinator, and [not a board position, but appreciated by all] Refreshments Coordinator.

Congratulations to the many fine photographers who "graduated up" from Novice to Advanced level, based on their demonstrated higher skills during competitions last year. Congratulations also to Scott Musson for being a great President last year and for completing & analyzing the masterful Members Survey, for revamping & publishing the Board Member Guide and his many other initiatives.

We greatly look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, 2 September, at Dunn Loring Fire Station as we kick-off another exciting year. I am very honored to follow in the footsteps of so many wonderful former NVPS presidents.

Tom Brett
NVPS President
tombrettphoto@cox.net

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September 9, 2008
Presentation Skills

September 30, 2008
Novice Night
Bill Folsom

September is 2-fer Month. We will start a new program year of workshops. Monthly workshops will be held on the second Tuesday of the month at the Dunn Loring Fire Station. They start at 7:30 PM. Special workshops will be held two fifth Tuesdays:  September (Novice Night) and , provisionally, March (Portfolio Critique). Workshops are organized to promote hands-on opportunities to learn about photography skills, techniques, and equipment. Two workshop-field trip combinations will support Competition themes: (January-Rhythm, and April-Architecture). The workshop provides “how-to” lessons followed by a field trip to provide in-the-field practice and instruction. This is followed by Competition judging to provide feedback on success. Again this year we will sponsor a Portfolio Project (described below).

September 9, Presentation Skills Six ribbon winners from last year  will lead a workshop on preparing prints and digital images for competition and display. Following a break, several smaller break-out sessions will provide members an opportunity to get questions answered and share tips.

September 30, Novice Night Bill Folsom will speak about the important features of camera and photographic techniques. After his presentation several stations will provide photo-making opportunities plus answers to questions about cameras and general photographic techniques.

Finally, we are working to establish a “Help Desk--Problem Solvers” program to connect members with questions to members with answers. We plan both specific person to person referrals and online Q & A’s.

NVPS 2008-9 Portfolio Project

NVPS will be repeating last year’s popular Portfolio Project in 2008-9. This is a nine month project starting in September and running through May. The current schedule for this project is outlined below (with more details to follow as the year progresses):

• There will be a Portfolio Project station at the Novice Night program on September 30th. This station will have examples of last year’s portfolios and provide an opportunity for members to ask questions.
• This year’s project coordinator, Ed Knepley, will give a brief presentation on the project and answer questions for 10 minutes before the October 14th workshop/critique.
• Portfolios will be critiqued at the NVPS meeting on the 5th Tuesday of March 2009.
• The final printed portfolios will be submitted in mid-April 2009 for judging.
• The May workshop will be devoted to the Portfolio Project. At this meeting each portfolio will be available in printed form for NVPS members to view and discuss with the artist. Also, each portfolio will be presented in slideshow form and the judge will make observations during the slideshow. Finally, awards will be presented. This workshop was one of the highlights of the 2007-8 club year and we expect it to be so again.

A portfolio will contain 12 images and include an “Artist’s Statement” in which the photographer explains what he or she is trying to accomplish.  Portfolios may be bound in an album or contained loose in a traditional portfolio box. The physical characteristics of the portfolio up are to the photographer. You are free to choose the type and size of portfolio that best reflects your content and/or style. 

At the photographer’s option, portfolio images can be posted at club’s website for critiquing during the portfolio’s development. The online critiques will be conducted only by judges who have completed Joe Miller’s judging course. Details on posting to the website for this project will be available in September.

The project goal is to create a printed portfolio of your best images starting from April 2008 (this provides a full 12 months for those who select themes with a seasonal flair).  These are the images you would be proud to share with others for years to come.

Please feel free to contact the project coordinator at any time with questions and suggestions concerning the portfolios.

Ed Knepley
jeknepley@comcast.net

 If you have any questions or concerns about Workshops, contact

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Proposed Changes to the By-Laws,
To be Voted on September 16, 2008

The following proposal to change the By-Laws of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society was made at the NVPS summer transition board meeting and was approved to be brought before the membership for a vote.  The proposal is to lower the requirement for a quorum from “not less than one-third of the entire membership” to “not less than 15 percent of the entire membership”. 

The reason for this recommendation is to address the difficulty we had with establishing a quorum for the election of officers and for the changes to the Constitution and By-Laws and the rules of Competition.  The vote to amend the By-Laws which requires a simple majority will be held at the NVPS competition night on September 16.

Current definition of a quorum:

Article VII.  Definition of a Quorum

A quorum of the general membership for the purpose of voting on Society business shall consist of not less than one-third of the entire membership. The Secretary/Historian shall determine if a quorum is present whenever a question arises requiring a vote.

Proposed definition of a quorum:

Article VII.  Definition of a Quorum

A quorum of the general membership for the purpose of voting on Society business shall consist of not less than 15 percent of the entire membership. The Secretary/Historian shall determine if a quorum is present whenever a question arises requiring a vote.

Scott Musson
Past President and Web Site Manager at NVPS
smusson “at” mindspring.com

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The Wolf Sanctuary of PA
Lititz PA (near Lancaster)

Saturday, Sept 13, 2008
Departure Time: 11:00 a.m.
Photo shoot: 2:00 until 5:30 p.m.

Sanctuary Donation: $35 per person (normal price is $75 pp)
http://www.wolfsancpa.com/
http://www.wolfsancpa.com/seriousphotography.html

Mark your calendars now for the next NVPS Fieldtrip which be held on Saturday, September 13th.   The club will be visiting The Wolf Sanctuary of Pennsylvania for a private photo shoot of the wolves in their sanctuary home.   The sanctuary will collect a $35 fee per person upon arrival and their staff will be on-hand to provide information and answer your questions.  

Sanctuary photographic considerations:  As you might expect, the wolves are fenced in and this will pose some challenges for your photographic technique. Generally, the use of wider apertures, longer lens and manual focus will permit you to capture good images. Camera position needs to be relatively close to the fence (but not too close as there are wolves in there!).  As the wolves will not be far away, you will have the opportunity to capture close-up images of the wolves as well as some interaction among themselves. In some cases, you will need to take care to have your subject (the wolf) be sufficiently away from the fence in order to focus.  Tripods are permitted but you may find that hand holding the camera to be more practical. I was told that ladders would also be permitted but you would need something like an 8 ft. ladder to gain any height advantage (step stools would not offer much benefit).  As a reference, here is a link to another wolf sanctuary in New Jersey. http://www.lakotawolf.com/Serious_Photo.htm

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Center for the Photographic Arts
Gainesville VA

Saturday, Oct 4, 2008
Departure Time: 9:15 a.m. (car pooling from Dunn Loring)
Program: 10:00 until 12:30 p.m.

Note: Sign-up is required as attendance may be limited

Joe Miller will host an NVPS field trip to the Center for the Photographic Arts in Gainesville VA.    Joe will lead us through many of the images from the permanent collection and discuss “How To Look at a Photograph”.   In viewing the images, some of factors that will be discussed could include eye movement, balance/imbalance, harmony, color, tone, contrast, rhythm, placement, spacing, separation, flaws, exposure, light, dominance, mood (e.g. feeling, emotion, mystery), story telling, composition, craftsmanship, creativity, content, and total presentation.

Directions will be provided for those who plan to drive directly to the Center for the Photographic Arts. We would like all participant to be present when we start promptly at 10:00 so please allow plenty of time to reach the location. For those that wish to car pool from Dunn Loring, please let me know.

Please do not bring food and drink inside the Center.

Participants may sign up by sending email to gerry.abbott@cox.net or at the NVPS meetings.  Please include cell phone and email address.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please call or email me.


2008/2009 Tentative Field Trip Schedule

These field trip locations, dates and times are tentative.  Please watch for official announcements on the website.  Participants may sign up at the NVPS meetings or by sending email to gerry.abbott@cox.net .

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Kenilworth Photos

On July 13th, several NVPS members met at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to photograph the lotus plants, lilies, and other subjects. Below are some pictures taken that day.

For a larger version of any of the above images, click on the image.

Field Trip Coordinator:
Gerry Abbott
Gerry.abbott@cox.net
703.967.9677 (mobile)

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Dave Carter
A Tribute

The September NVPS Forum and Members Gallery will be a tribute to Dave Carter, long time member of NVPS, who died June 29. Dave was an excellent photographer, teacher, writer and judge. Dave loved images, and he never saw an image he couldn't say something positive about. For years he was an active photographer, and he encouraged and influenced many area photographers. At the Forum some of Dave's friends will present images as a tribute to Dave, and Members Gallery will be a presentation of Dave's work, his vision and his eye for photography.

Gayle Dennis
Gayle.Dennis@comcast.net

HDR (High Dynamic Range)
Josh Taylor

For about six months, I have immersed myself in HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography to the extent it became almost a distraction. HDR imaging technology has solved one of the biggest problems faced by photographers, especially digital photographers. Before HDR, it was almost impossible to capture a scene with a wide range of tones in a single image.  With HDR imaging software, photographers can digitally capture a greater range of tones by combining a number of exposures into one image, thus maintaining detail in both the shadow and highlight areas of the photograph. The multiple exposures are processed in Photoshop or, by the most preferred method, using Photomatix software. The processed HDR image is then “tone mapped” to look like a realistic photograph or to look like a graphic illustration. The “grunge” look is another possible outcome achieved by tone mapping the same image multiple times.  Mostly, I go for the “grunge” look with unrealistic colors bordering on the surreal. I often apply Alien Skin filters as well.

HDR can sound complicated and a bit intimidating, but one of the best resources I’ve found is the book by Farrell McCollough, Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range: Digital Photography. The text and accompanying illustrations take the mystery out of HDR photography. The information in the book is easy to comprehend and will take the photographer through each step in the HDR imaging process, including shooting the initial multiple exposures through post-processing techniques. This book is a valuable resource for the beginner as well as the seasoned professional. Happy HDR shooting!!!

Josh Taylor, Jr.
jtaylorj@verizon.net

Quick Review: Adobe Lightroom 2
John Naman

Adobe released Lightroom Version 2 on July 29, 2008. Lightroom is a really simple and fast way to organize and deal with a collection of photos. And it is non-destructive: you can "fix" a photo and not destroy the original. I think of it as Adobe Bridge and Camera Raw on steroids, because I can bring in a gaggle of images (JPEG, RAW, TIFF and PSD), quickly sort the winners from the losers, make some non-destructive changes, and then edit in Photoshop (or any other editor) if needed. Or just output a collection of JPEGs for the web or email.

Adobe aimed Lightroom at pros, such as wedding photographers, who need to put together an album ASAP and put it on the web or CD for their clients. From camera to a web album in ten minutes is possible. Or you can do some quick prints, say 4x6s, for people to look at. Then, for camera club competition (or the "real" wedding photo), click and do the usual post processing in Photoshop, Elements, Corel, etc.

So what is special about Lightroom 2? I am delighted to have dual monitor support: I keep the catalog of images on one screen and one large image to deal with on my primary screen. (I also edit in Photoshop with the picture separate from all the tools). The rest of the upgrade includes improved views, keywording, develop tools (a gradient tool and local adjustment brush, non-destructive!), and even better print and web options. For more details, the nice people at NAPP have launched a free Lightroom 2 Learning Center! Be sure to check it out. http://www.photoshopuser.com/lightroom2

The manufacturer's suggested retail price is $299 (or $99 if you are upgrading from Lightroom 1.x. A 30 day trial Available; If you are a member of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) you can get a 15% discount off any Adobe product from the Adobe Store website. Students/teachers/academics get the full product for about $99, i.e. the upgrade price.

John Naman
jnaman2@gmail.com

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Dave Carter

Shortly after Dave's passing, several remembrances from NVPS members were placed on the NVPS web site. They can be found at: http://nvps.org/main/featured/david_carter_19382008_nvps_mem/ The following is from one of Dave's former students. If it weren't for Dave Carter, I wouldn't carry my camera with me almost everywhere I go. I wouldn't stop, sometimes in midstep, while going about my daily business and think about how I would crop an image in the few cases when I don't have my camera at my side. If it weren't for Dave Carter, I wouldn't be studying visual perception and aesthetics in the psychology PhD program at UC Berkeley, and it's no stretch to say that without him, I probably wouldn't be in graduate school of any kind at all. When I took Dave's Psychology, Photography, and Visual Arts class, I hadn't much idea of what I wanted to do with my life.

More than that, I felt conflicted about my two majors -- psychology, and digital art & photography -- and had resigned myself to the fact that at the end of my undergraduate career, I would have to decide which one I liked more, and pursue it at the expense of the other. Over the course of that semester, Dave showed me how mistaken I was. He showed me that not only did I not need to choose one of my two passions when deciding what to do with my life but that the union of the two was important and worthwhile to both fields, and could lead down an exciting path of academic research and artistic endeavor.

Dave taught me far more than how to compose a photograph, or how to appreciate all of the things that psychology and photography have to learn from each other. I often tell people that in his unique hybrid of a psychology and art class, he didn't teach "how we see," he taught "how to see." He taught me to appreciate the visual beauty in the environments we see everyday. To stop now and then, forget the name of what it is we are looking at, and just take in the breathtaking colors, shapes, and textures that surround us. He taught me to look at the world with new and creative eyes, and I consider myself blessed to have known him as both a professor and a friend.

I cannot effectively convey with words either my gratitude to Dave for what he taught me, or my sadness to know that he is no longer with us. But it is some small comfort to know that he lives on in the minds -- and more rightly to say, in the eyes -- of those countless students and colleagues whom he taught to see.

Jonathan Gardner

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Update on NVPS Founder Sil Horwitz

NVPS is starting its 44th year as a club. Sil Horwitz was the first President and founder of NVPS. He's now 92 years old, is still very active, altho he has been slowed by some medical challenges, and thrives in Florida. (He has always been an NVPS member. NVPS owes him great gratitude for his work and the example he set. We send our congratulations on his many accomplishments.

Photographers of Northern Virginia

Repeat programs of Photographers of Northern Virginia are now being shown on a regular basis on Fairfax Public Access Channel 30 every Monday at 3:30 p.m. and every Friday at 3 p.m. They will no longer be shown on Channel 10.

The September schedule is as follows:

The schedule can also be found on the NVPS website (http://nvps.org/main/upcoming/tv_program_photographers_of_no/).

Luella Murri
Host
703-256-5290
luellamurri@aol.com

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Events

Photographic Society of America
Portland Meeting
August 31 - September 6 2008

In March, I told about the PSA Conference tours, but the details of the programs had not been released. Now they have, and here are a few instructional programs that caught my eye: “Rust, Rubbish and Reflections–finding unusual compositions in unlikely places,” “Studio Portraiture–Mysteries Revealed,” “Mylar Magic (Workshop),” “Nemo and Friends” (how to do underwater macro photography!), “Digital Black and White Photography,” “A 101 Tutorial on HDR (High Dynamic Range),” “F8 and Be There: Strategies for Being in the Right Place at the Right Time.”

Then there are a range of shows, including award winning essays in the Color Projected Image Division (used to be the Color Slide Div.) and the Nature Division, a variety of programs in the Photo Travel Division and the Photojournalism Division’s Photo Story winners.  All the Divisions will be showing winners and accepted works from their sections of the 2008 PSA International Exhibition. For more about the conference, go to http://www.psa-photo.org/.  Take time to look at the slide show.  Then find the logo for the conference (shown above) and click on “Conference Details.”

Tom Hady
PSA Representative for NVPS
thady@worldnet.att.net

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Exhibition Opportunities

It will be held at Gallery West in Alexandria Virginia from February 4th to March 2nd 2009. The Juror is Joey P. Mánlapaz.  Entries must be submitted on CDs. There is a fee of $35 for 1-3 images. The deadline is November 20, 2008. Total awards will be  $1000. 

Linda Bankerd, Show Chair
(703) 549-6006

29th Northern Counties International Salon of Photography 2008

Photographers around the world are invited to submit entries to the 29th Northern Counties International Salon of Photography. ALL sections in this event will be carried out under the patronage of both FIAP and PSA with the addition this year of patronage by the Royal Photographic Society (RPS).    Medals and Awards have been granted by all three patrons in addition to the NCPF awards. 

There will be five sections:

• Monochrome Prints
• Colour Prints
• Open Projected Images (Dual Projection – both Slides & Electronic Images)
• Nature Slides
• Photo-Travel Slides

Closing date for all entries is September 27th 2008

Full details of all the rules and conditions of entry, together with Entry Forms can be found in the “International Exhibition” at: http://www.ncpf.org.uk

David Coates
davecoates.photo@dsl.pipex.com

5th Annual Fall Wildlife Festival
October 11, 2008

The Friends of the Potomac River Refuges to ask for your involvement in the 5th Annual Fall Wildlife Festival on Saturday, October 11, 2008 from 9 am to 3 pm to take place at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

The festival, sponsored by the Friends of the Potomac Refuge Refuges (www.foprr.org) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, is part of the National Wildlife Refuge Week celebration.As in years past, the festival will feature artists, craftsmen, children's activities, live wildlife shows, environmental education exhibits, and hay rides.

There is a $50 fee for vendors and we ask, that due to our limited supply, that you bring your own table, chairs and tent. In return, we can guarantee that you will have a highly visible space among the other vendors and exhibitors.

I sincerely appreciate your consideration. If you are interested in participating in the festival, please feel free to contact me at my personal email address kobedog@hotmail.com�or Annette Baker-Toole, President of Friends of the Potomac River Refuges at�info@foprr.com or call 703-408-5269.

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FotoWeek DC

FotoWeek DC, the first annual celebration of photography in the nation's capital, will take place November 15-22, 2008. It will bring together photographers, museums, universities, and others involved in the profession across the metro D.C. area. FotoWeek DC will feature a photography contest and juried exhibition open to professional and amateur photographers, along with gallery openings, lectures, educational workshops, portfolio reviews, book signings, and special offers on photographic services and merchandise from local area retailers. The week-long celebration will culminate in a gala awards ceremony hosted by FotoWeek DC sponsor National Geographic, recognizing area photographers across several genres, including photojournalism, commercial, fine art, amateur, and student photography.

FotoWeek DC is pleased to invite all photographers in DC, Virginia and Maryland to enter a Juried Competition. The deadline is Sept. 22.

For more information on FotoWeek DC, including how to enter the FotoWeek DC professional and amateur photography competition, please visit www.FotoWeekDC.org.

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Workshops and Tours

Costa Rica Photo Tours

Additional information about itineraries can be obtained by contacting Frank Scott.

Frank Scott
011-506-2789-5018
crphototour@yahoo.ca
www.crphototours.com

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NOVACC Events

McLean Photography Club
Contact: Bruce Copping at (703) 725-9331 or bcopping@gmail.com
Website: www.mcleanphoto.org.
Meetings:  Held on the 2nd Wed. at 7:30 pm (meet & greet at 7:15 pm), at the McLean Community Center, or as indicated.

Program:  September 10, 7:15 - short tips & techniques session preceeds main program… Main program, 7:30 - Review/critique of a library of PSA (Photographic Society of America) photos, courtesy of Manuel Hernandez and Bill Prosser

Competition:  November 12^th

Reston Photographic Society
Contact: Ellis Rosenberg at 703-855-4008 or erosenberg@cox.net
Website: www.leagueofrestonartists.org
Meetings: Held the 3rd Monday of the month 7:30-9:30 pm at the Reston Community Center – Lake Anna

Program:  The new meeting place for Sept. and Oct will be the Reston Library located at 11935 Bowmantown Rd Reston Va 20190. The Sept. meeting will be held on Monday Sept 8^th from 7:30 to 8:45. The Speaker will be Walt Calahan who has put together an inspirational Talk based on his 30 years of photography which has been widely acclaimed by area photo clubs.  It is called "Mastering the Box: Expanding Your Creative Vision."  Also check out Walt’s web site www.walterpcalahan.com.  This promises to be an exciting and informative presentation and we urge everyone to attend.

Competition:  The entry form for our October photo show at RCC Lake Anne” PhotoArt” is on the web site. The deadline for sending in entry forms is Sept 26^th. They are also accepted at the hanging on Sept 29^th for an extra entry fee of $5.00. This is our big member’s only show so please try and participate.

Vienna Photographic Society
Contact: Mary Jane Fish at (703) 281-9743 or fishsfotos@aol.com  or Warren Standley at (540) 635-6721 or editor@vps-va.org .
Website: www.vps-va.org
Meetings: Held on the 1st and 3rd Wed. at 7:30 pm in the main lecture hall of the Thoreau Middle School, 2505 Cedar Lane, Vienna, VA.
Program:    Wednesday, 9/3, Alan Sislen presents “A Workshop on Digital Infrared Photography”
Competition:  Wednesday, 9/17, open (unthemed) with judge ##################

Field Trip: Saturday, 9/13, 3:30-9:00 p.m., Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and Fells Point, for more information, contact Martin Fish at fishmp@aol.com